Carl’s Jr.® Opens First Restaurant in Canada

CARPINTERIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CKE Restaurants, Inc. announced today that Jove Franchise Development
Corporation (“Jove”) has opened the first Carl’s Jr.®
restaurant in Canada. This restaurant is located in Kelowna, British
Columbia. and is the first of five Carl’s Jr. restaurants Jove plans to
open and operate in Canada. CKE plans to open additional Carl’s Jr.
restaurants as part of a larger expansion across Canada in the coming
years.

CKE’s entry into Canada is part of a strategic plan to accelerate
franchise development in international markets and to double CKE’s
international presence to over 700 restaurants within the next five
years. CKE currently has active franchise development agreements in
Vancouver, British Columbia and is actively seeking qualified franchise
candidates throughout Canada.

”We are very pleased to welcome Jove Franchise Development Corporation
to the Carl’s Jr. franchise family. With our longstanding history of
successfully operating the Carl’s Jr. brand in the Western United
States, it was a natural progression to open the brand in Western
Canada,” said Andrew F. Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, Inc. “We are
confident that the strength of our brand combined with Jove’s management
expertise and passion for our brand will secure a bright future for
Carl’s Jr. in the Canadian market.”

"We are very excited to launch Carl’s Jr. in Kelowna, Canada with our
great partner CKE Restaurants. We are determined to make Carl’s Jr. the
destination of choice for consumers seeking premium charbroiled
hamburgers, premium facilities and exceptional service,” said John
Dowling, President of Jove Franchise Development Corporation.

Currently, CKE franchises 374 international restaurants, or
approximately 12% of its total restaurants, between both its Carl’s Jr.
and Hardee’s® brands.

About Carl’s Jr.

Carl’s Jr. is celebrating 70 years in the quick-service industry. What
began as a lone hot dog cart in Los Angeles, Calif. in 1941 is today a
wholly owned subsidiary of CKE Restaurants, Inc. of Carpinteria, Calif.
As of the end of fiscal 2011, CKE, through its subsidiaries, had a total
of 3,159 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 42
states and in 18 countries, including 1,249 Carl's Jr.®
restaurants and 1,899 Hardee's® restaurants. For more
information, go to www.ckr.com
or www.carlsjr.com.
Carl’s Jr. social media sites include www.facebook.com/carlsjr,
www.twitter.com/carlsjr
and www.youtube.com/carlsjr.